Michelle Gullage

Michelle’s life work has been dedicated to working with children. Raised along the coast and in the mountains of Virginia, she felt a powerful calling to become a teacher from a young age, though it was through Outdoor & Adventure Education that she first discovered the path that would shape her approach. A decade of work with children ages 8–18 with ADD, ADHD, and spectrum differences deepened her understanding of relationships, resilience, nature, and meeting each child as a unique individual.

Michelle received her degree in Recreation, Parks and Tourism in 2002. She furthered her studies in 2020, getting her certificate in Waldorf Early Childhood Education. 

Michelle began working in Waldorf Education in 2009, finding an educational philosophy that deeply resonated with her belief that children deserve to be seen, understood, and supported in their unfolding. In 2017 she joined the Orchard Valley Waldorf School as a mixed-age Kindergarten teacher and Grades teacher, returning most recently to the older Kindergarten class in Fall 2025. She is passionate about nurturing strong foundations for children through relationships rooted in curiosity, compassion, and a bit of wonder, believing that education grows through connection—not only between teacher and child, but throughout the whole community. 

Michelle has had extensive opportunities to work with parents as a teacher, holding class meetings and guiding study with adult groups. She has experience supporting teachers in her classroom and their classrooms throughout her career.

In her time outside the classroom, you will often find her with an espresso in hand, watching the garden, and caring for a lively mix of feathered, furry, and wooly critters on the farm at school and at home.